Mass Communication, BA

About the Program

Mass communication includes courses in professional and journalistic writing and news as strategic communication; public affairs reporting, advanced reporting, and copy editing; the symbols created by mass communication and the role of mass media in society; and the translation of theory into media production in telecommunication areas such as video production, editing, and programming.

Three Year Major Option

The Brian Lamb School of Communication now offers all five majors in schedules that can be completed in just three years. These new schedules have the same number of total hours (120), and the same number of major hours (42 or 30), but compress them into three years. The three-year plan requires two summers, with the following distribution of semester hours (fall/spring/summer):
Year One: 15/18/9
Year Two: 18/18/9
Year Three: 18/15/graduation in May

These new three-year plans are in addition to the existing four-year programs, which will all still be available. And of course, if students enter the program with any Advanced Placement or transfer credit, meeting the three-year calendar becomes even simpler.

Degree Requirements

120 Credits Required

Liberal Arts Core Curriculum

Each liberal arts major is designed as a four-year plan of study and includes three types of courses: Major, Core, and Elective. Most students take five courses per semester, with some of each type.

Professional academic advisors meet individually with each of our students on a regular basis to help with course selection, academic planning, and career development, as well as to help students find additional resources on campus.

Departmental/Program Major Courses (42 credits)

Students must complete COM 11400 and achieve a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale in the three Pre-Communication courses before declaring this or any major in communication. NO additional communication courses from the plan of study can be taken prior to admission. Only one Pre-Communication course may be repeated one time for admission purposes.